


Legacy

by PortalPanda



Category: Tron - All Media Types, Tron 2.0
Genre: AU, Angst, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, contains major 2.0 spoilers, implied Alan/Lora, implied Tron/Yori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28829220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PortalPanda/pseuds/PortalPanda
Summary: Someone should probably talk to Tron about this.
Relationships: Alan Bradley & Kevin Flynn, Kevin Flynn & Tron
Comments: 5
Kudos: 13





	Legacy

**Author's Note:**

> A few quick notes:
> 
> In case you didn't read the tags, this fic does contain MAJOR 2.0 spoilers. You've been warned!
> 
> The events of this fic do not fit with the game's timeline. I realize that. I've played this game once, and I'm a little fuzzy on some of the lore, so I improvised on some things we don't have answers to and probably fudged some of the answers that were given in the game. Sorry in advance. 
> 
> Also, thank you to Pete, NDRL, and Quantum for answering my 2.0 questions! ^^

Somehow, the ENCOM system is even more of a maze than Flynn remembers. His disc compiled a map of the areas he explored the last time he visited-- which might be useful if everything hadn’t been rearranged in the years since. Although he is searching for a program, not a place, so a map could only be so much help to begin with. 

It’s really not surprising that Tron finds him first.

Flynn is wandering down another neon-lit corridor, (identical to every other corridor he’s been through, except that the circuit-like pattern on the walls here glows teal) when a program rounds the corner up ahead and freezes.

“Flynn?”

“Hey!” Flynn yells, waving when he recognizes Tron’s voice. The program jogs towards him, his smile brightening with every step. The user braces for impact.

“Oof! Tron!” Flynn wheezes out a laugh as he’s crushed in a hug. “Greetings, program!”

“Greetings, program!” Tron beams, clapping him on the back. “It’s good to see you, old friend! It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah, it has.” Flynn finally gets a good look at Tron once he’s released. He didn’t expect programs to age, but it seems as if Tron has. Besides the fact that his circuit pattern is different, he looks a little more careworn, like Alan on the other side of the screen. It’s something about the eyes… Flynn feels a jolt of guilt. “I would’ve come back sooner, but there’ve been-- some problems. With the laser.”

Tron’s circuits dim a little. “I know.”

“Turns out the MCP was good for something after all,” Flynn mumbles. It’s a poor attempt at a joke; thankfully, Tron ignores it.

“Does your being here mean the Users have repaired the laser?”

“No. Not that they’d be brave enough to test it, if they had.” Flynn scuffs at the ground. “Alan won’t let me near the thing. I had to sneak in after hours. _Again_.” 

Tron offers a wan smile. “Ma2a will report you.”

“Ma2a’s the one who told me my pattern was cached,” Flynn snorts, rocking on his toes. “ _Apparently_ , I’m the only User who can get in or out of here. So that’s fun. And it’s useful, cause there’s something I needed to talk to you about in-person.” The User’s expression turns solemn. “I told Alan all about the adventure we had back in ‘82. And the more we think about it, the more concerned we are.”

“Why?” Tron frowns. “The MCP is gone, like you said. The system is secure.”

“For now,” Flynn says. Tron crosses his arms. “You know-- better than I do-- that new threats are always popping up. And one thing I don’t think any of us expected is that the biggest threat to this system is actually the users.”

It takes Tron a moment to process that.

“I don’t understand,” he says slowly. “This system _belongs_ to the Users. Everything here was created by them. Why would they want to harm their own creations?”

“Not all users are the same, Tron,” Flynn says gently; heavily. “Some of them just want power, to create or destroy, like you said. And the amount of power we have here is _dangerous_ . Not all of us are equipped to handle it. I’m _certainly_ not, but at least I had the sense not to screw with more than I had to in order to stay alive. Not all users like ENCOM, either,” he continues. “We have a lot of competition. If they found out they could sabotage our system from the inside? Or come in and steal everything we’re working on? There goes your entire world.”

“But they can’t get in,” Tron argues, frowning. “You said it yourself; the laser is damaged. You’re the only one who can enter the system.”

“Yeah. But Alan’s trying to fix that.” Under different circumstances, Flynn might laugh at the program’s baffled expression. “Lora’s laser… the applications of that tech could change our entire world. Solve a lot of problems. Repairing it will put the system at greater risk, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.” 

“So you came to warn me,” Tron says gravely. His gaze roams over the ground, as if he’ll find solutions there. 

“Yeah. But not about that.” Flynn exhales, mussing a hand through his hair. “There’s something Alan wants you to do, and I figured we’d better talk it over, cause I don’t think you’re gonna like it.”

Tron eyes glint with a fierce kind of light. “I have never disobeyed my User before.”

“I know, but listen,” Flynn waves him off. “Your job is to protect the system-- clearly-- you’re well aware of that. Alan cares about that, too, which is why he wrote you in the first place. He wants to help you with the problem I just mentioned. Especially since he’s kind of causing it. He’s working on a massive update for you. Once it’s installed, you’ll be equipped to remove any unauthorized users from the system-- if they ever manage to get in.”

This time Tron’s systems actually make a distressed little _whirr_. 

“...You want me to _fight the Users?_ ”

“Not _all_ users,” Flynn scrambles, “just the ones who aren’t supposed to be here. Believe me, we don’t like it either, but it’s the only solution we can think of that’ll keep everyone safe.”

“ _Everyone?_ ” Tron asks, incredulous. “Who would protect the Users from me? I don’t typically fight to subdue, Flynn. I am designed to _eliminate_ threats. And I can think of no way to fight anyone without harming them. That is in my current state-- without an update that makes me more powerful.” His voice becomes more stiff. “You are aware of the laser’s sensitivity. If the pattern cached upon entering the system doesn’t match the one that exits, it doesn’t work properly. Which means, if I injure any User that enters the system, they will either be trapped here or die in their attempt to leave.”

“You can take it up with Alan,” Flynn says quietly, “but I think he’s aware of those contingencies. It’s a general rule of thumb in our world that shooting yourself with a laser is dangerous. Anyone who came in here would know they were risking their life in the attempt. Believe me, I hesitated myself.”

“Flynn, I can’t do what you’re asking. I fight--”

“ _For_ the users, I know. But that isn’t your directive. Protecting the system is.”

“I don’t _want_ this,” Tron says, pained. “You didn’t see what happened to Yori after she hurt Lora-Prime. I _lost_ her.” 

Flynn feels sick with guilt as the program’s circuits flicker.

“I’m so sorry, Tron.” He tries to reach out, to offer some kind of comfort, but Tron turns away. “That wasn’t her fault.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he says, hollow. “She blamed herself; took herself offline. The Users appropriated her subroutines for Ma2a because she would no longer respond to them. She was that afraid of hurting them again.” Tron all but glares at Flynn; the gesture holds more grief than anger. “ _That_ is what happens when programs harm Users. Terrible loss, on both sides of the screen. I can’t be a part of that. I won’t.” 

“Tron--” Flynn tries.

“Take me offline if you have to. If it’s that important, give the update to someone else. Replace me. I don’t care.” He sounds half frantic-- terrified-- pleading. “We fought together, Flynn. I consider you a friend. _Please_ , don’t make me do this.”

“ _Tron_ ,” Flynn repeats. This time his hand does connect with the program’s shoulder, and he tries to exude [ _calm_ ]. “No one’s gonna force you to do anything. I just came here to talk-- to _ask_.” 

Tron searches the User’s eyes, and he droops a little at the genuine concern there. Flynn isn’t lying. He wouldn’t lie about this.

Tron’s voice catches.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” 

This time Flynn draws him into a hug, though his voice is sad. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

\-----------------------------------

Alan’s glasses dangle from his hand as he scrubs at his eyes. He’s running on caffeine and not enough sleep, and Flynn is watching him from the doorway, and of the three, that last one is by far the most hazardous to his health.

“You really think we should shelve the Legacy code?”

Flynn nods, though he knows Alan won’t look at him. He hasn’t even _faced_ his direction since he confessed to using the laser the night before. 

At least Alan still had the courtesy to listen while Flynn made his arguments. A) Programs are like people, which means that Tron deserves to know if the directive his life revolves around is going to change. The least they can do is ask for consent. And B) no one else can enter the system until the laser is repaired. So while Users abusing power is a legitimate concern, it's a concern they can deal with later. 

“Tron made it pretty clear he doesn’t want it.”

Alan nods. He’s staring at the monitor in front of him, but if Flynn had to guess, he isn’t actually seeing it.

“Does he understand,” Alan asks, surprisingly gentle, “that he’ll probably be shelved along with it?”

“Yeah.” 

Flynn swallows; his gaze is drawn to the photo of Lora that sits on Alan’s desk. 

“He does.”

**Author's Note:**

> Some 2.0 thoughts that wouldn't leave me alone were Alan writing an update for Tron so he could fight users, and Lora being killed by the laser that Yori operated. So here we are. I'm tempted to write a companion piece about Lora and Yori, but we'll see...
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!! Thanks for reading!


End file.
